Stuart Hess Next Tuesday millions of people will observe yet another World Aids Day in a bid to raise awareness about the epidemic ravaging African countries. In South Africa, as in many developing countries, efforts to combat the spread of HIV, the virus that causes Aids, have failed. South Africa is considered to have one […]

There were so many irritating presumptions in Joan Smith’s column, “Why women don’t cruise” (November 13 to 19), that it’s difficult to know where to begin to protest them. Shaun de Waal’s response in last week’s First Person took a considered look at the implications of Smith’s article for the nature/culture debate, but was, in […]

`snub’ Mungo Soggot The Bar and the Bench were awash with speculation this week that Judge John Myburgh is to resign as president of the Labour Court and quit the judiciary after being snubbed for promotion by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC). It is understood that Judge Myburgh, one of South Africa’s most respected judges, […]

teacher Swapna Prabhakaran Durban maths teacher Busi Mzimela is paid her salary every month, despite the fact that she has not set foot inside a classroom for more than 18 months. Mzimela says she stopped teaching last April after a disagreement about her post at Ntwenhle High School. With several degrees behind her name, Mzimela […]

go’ Chiara Carter A damning report on the conflict-ridden University of the Transkei (Unitra) recommends that its principal, Alfred Moleah, take early retirement and the university’s finances be investigated. The report by independent assessor Louis Skweyiya was requested by Minister of Education Sibusiso Bengu. Skweyiya found that the relationship between Moleah and the rest of […]

OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Friday 7.15pm. COURTNEY WALSH swept past Malcolm Marshall’s record for most Test wickets by a West Indian when he produced a superb display of fast bowling on the second day of the first Test against South Africa at the Wanderers Friday. Walsh took four for 48 as South Africa reached 217/6 […]

Despite the pretty lights and bells, there’ll be little Christmas cheer and ho ho ho-ing in the retail sector this year, writes Ferial Haffajee At Edgars, Christmas comes in July. The manager of the city store in Johannesburg begins planning for the summer high season in mid-winter. “The atmosphere, the look, the gift- wrapping corners. […]

Mail & Guardian reporters The South African Police Service (SAPS) has 1 500 policemen on its staff who were convicted of criminal offences in the past 17 months. More than 50 serving policemen have been convicted of assault in the first half of this year. And the SAPS believes attempted sodomy by one of its […]

Review of the week Matthew Krouse Cross-cultural art concepts don’t always work. Take Japanese Kabuki theatre – three decades ago America’s high-performance hippies borrowed elements from that archaic, ritualised tradition. Anticipating the global age, many hailed the invention, now only remembered as a pretentious fad. Two decades later, artists confronting the Aids pandemic are finding […]